Captain Of The Lost Waves: Beautiful Ugly

Sometimes the most harrowing of circumstances can lead the way to the most rewarding. I can’t speak for the Captain Of The Lost Waves on that front, but from where I recline, in a world of plaintive, heartfelt sounds created as he recovered from a life changing road traffic accident, that’s the impression received.

Who is Captain I hear you wonder? Well, truth be told, I didn’t know the answer to that either, but he has previously released albums under his natural guise, Shaun T Hunter and Quiet Rebellion, and garnered a number of accolades along the way. Favouring bouzouki as his main chosen instrument of conveyance, Captain - who also employs mandolin and guitar - is flanked by Damian Clark on keys, synths and sound design and Wendy Ross on violin. Together the trio forge onward with an atmosphere that is somehow both resilient and fragile at the same time. Swirling, moody, dark and yet engaging, nothing here should in effect be as imagination snaring as it undoubtedly is. The lyrics are hugely personal and yet make connections you can’t deny, while the lack of those usual tropes - such as a rhythm section - could have left the results austere and remote. The opposite is true, the hugely melodic melancholy that’s woven and weaved welcoming you in and making you feel at home, without ever compromising its intention to both beguile and unsettle.

Stark and yet beautiful, the likes of “Older� almost feels like venturing outside on a cold, white winter’s morning, those feelings of trepidation at what might greet you replaced with the wonder of a quieter world that holds a singular beauty that lives long in the mind. It’s a theme throughout, with the whole of Beautiful Ugly feeling like, well not so much a journey, but an invitation onto the Lost Waves this Captain sails upon. The two tracks that bookend this album, also encapsulate it, an honesty and intimacy in both “Obsidian Whisper� and “Beautiful Ugly� laid out in a way that confidently strides forth but also with the ability not to boast about it.

Contradictions and sense of purpose are often your companions on Beautiful Ugly, ensuring that once you’ve understood the intention here, the impact grows and grows. I can’t suggest for one moment that this is music for every occasion, or indeed every frame of mind, but when those elements align, few albums can leave the impression conjured here.

Track Listing
1. Obsidian Whispers
2. Dirty Windows
3. Success In Failure
4. Gothic Balladeer
5. Older
6. A Joyful Disturbance
7. Vesper Flights
8. Neighbourhood
9. Beautiful Ugly

Added: December 13th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Captain of the Lost Waves online
Hits: 198
Language: english

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